Garment hanger



Dec0 9, 1930. J. H. BARTLETT, JR

GARMENT HANGER Filed Jan.- 17, 193.0

Inlllrll II|I|||||||||| Il l il llluulllll 1N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN HIBARTLETT, JR., 0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THB OSHKOSH TRUNK COMPANY, OIAHQSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSDT GARMEN T HANGER Application led January 17, 1930. Serial No. 421,366.

This invention relates to travelling cases of the portable wardrobe ty e and more particularly to a novel form ofpgarmenthanger for use therein.

These cases are usually box-like in form and comprise a body section and a hinged lid section, the latter being provided within its upper free corners with trolleys, rails, or other lixtures to support the garment hangers by means of which the larger outer garments such as the coats, vests and trousers of a mans wardrobe, and the tailoredjackets and skirts, as well as dresses, of a womans wardrobe are packed in the lid. of the case. The smaller garments and toilet articles are packed in the body section of the case and Vthis section is usually partitioned for the purpose. The size of the case as compared with a regulation wardrobe trunk is relatively small, as-is necessary in order that the case may be readily and conveniently carried by hand in the manner of the so-called suitcase. result is that the garments to be packed in the lid section cannot be hung therein in fully extended positions, as in the regulation full-size wardrobe trunk, because the lid is not high enough to accommodate the garments when so extended. To fit within the lid, the garments must be folded transverse- 1y on themselves to bring them within the height of the lid which is usually less than one-half the full length of the garments.

One ofthe objects of my invention is to provide a garment hanger so constructed that the garments may be folded thereon to lit within the lid without undue creasing or wrinkling while retained in the lid.

In accordance with my invention, the ygarment hanger is of a size to fit within the space afforded by the lid and has a cross-bar at one end over which the portions of the garments on the hanger extendin below the bar will automatically fold as t e hanger is turned into an inverted position to bring the crossbar uppermost for engagement with the rails or trolleys in the lid. The length of the hanger is such that the lower ends of the garments thereon, whether coat, trousers, Jacket, skirt or dress, will extend below the cross-bar for folding thereover on inverting The f the hanger for placing in the lid. The hanger has a shoulder portion at the otherend to tit within and support the shoulder portion of the coat or jacket, as the case .may be. To accommodate a pair of trousers or a skirt, the shoulder portion of thehanger has a pair of slots therein, which when the trousers or skirt is transversely folded on itself may have its folded sections inserted through the slots from one side of the hanger for engagement with the bar-like portion of the hanger between the slots. The hanger has la midsection which rigidly joins the cross-bar to the shoulder portion and this mid-portion or joining section is disposed centrally with respect to the other sections and is relatively narrow so that all of the depending portions of the garment on the hanger may be on the same side thereof for automatic folding over the cross-bar on inverting the hanger for packing in the lid. The Vhanger when taken rom the lid is turned to foring the cross-bar lowermost and in so doing the garments automatically unfold and may be removed from the hanger or left thereon for hanging u 1n a closet, the hanger having a hole or tali) at its upper end for the purpose.

he invention consists further in the Inatters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l shows a hanger of my invention with garments thereon packed in the lid of a portable wardrobe case;

Fig. 2 illustrates a coat and a air of trousers arranged on the hanger be ore the latter is inverted for placing in the lid' of the oase; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional .View taken throu h the assembly of Fig. 2 on line 3-3 thereo In the drawings, 1 indicates the bod of the case, and 2 indicates the lid-section W ich is hinged to the body at its rear wall, as in cases of .this character. When the lid is closed, it is locked to the front wall of the body through the medium of any suitable form of looking devices, which, as shown in Fig. 1 comprise a pair of hasps 3, 3 ony the lid and slotted keepers 4, 4 therefor on the body. -The vkeepershave locking cylinders 5, 5 by which the bolts in the keepers may be withdrawn from the hasps to unlock the lid. Located within the lid 2 within the upper free corners thereof are the rails or trolleys a 6, 6 for the hangers, said fixtures being supported in the lid by suitable brackets 7, 7 as shown.

The garment hanger of my invention is designed to fit Within the space afforded by the lid 2, and comprises a cross-bar 8 at one end and a shoulder portion 9 at the other end, said shoulder portion being made sloping to fit within the shoulder of a coat, jacket, and the like.. The bar 8 and shoulder portion 9 are rigidly connected by a joining section 10 which isl centrally disposed between said parts, as shown. All parts of the hanger are in the same plane, and they are preferably integral, being made from a single piece or layer olf wood or sheet material, or in 'a laminated form as from thin plies of the desired material. A inans coat l1 is shown on the hanger in the drawings. The coat is placed on the hanger in the manner shown in ig. 2 with the shoulder portion of the coat hung over the shoulder portion 9 of the hanger, and with the depending portions of the coat, including the sleeves, all on the same side of the cross-bar 8. This is rendered possible because the joining section'lO is relatively narrow in width and is disposed e centrally with respect to the portions 8 and 9 which it rigidly connects.

The length of the hanger, that is, the distance between the cross-bar 8 and the shoulder portion 9 along the joinin section 10, is considerably less than theull length of the extended arment 11 on the hanger and as a result te lower ends of the garment extend below the cross-bar 8, and being on the same side of the cross-bar will automatically fold over the latter on inverting the hanger to bring the cross-bar 8 uppermost as shown in Fig. 1. The ends of the cross-bar 8 extend beyond the shoulder portion 9 and are there provided with notches or recesses 12, 12, which open towards the shoulder portion 9 and are thus on Ithe under side of the crossbar 8 when inverted to enga e over the upper portions of the rails or tro leys 6 when the anger is placed in the lid. The ends of the cross-bar 8 at the notches 12 may be made hook-shaped and extend suliciently above the upper edge of the cross-bar to provide -a recess extending along the bar between the hooks to accommodate the loo in the garment portions which are fol ed over the bar.

The shoulder portion 9 of the hanger is provided with a pair of substantially parallel slots 13, 14 extending cross-wise of the hanger, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These slots permit another garment, such as a pair of trousers 15 or a womans skirt to be laced on the hanger when such garment is olded transversely and inserted through the slots with the fold engaging over the portion 16 of the hanger between the slots, as shown in Fig. 2. The folded sections of this garment are inserted through the slots in a manner that the sections will lie on the same side of the cross-bar 8 as the depending portions of the other garment 1l. l'he ends of the folded sections of the garment extending through the slots extend below the cross-bar 8 and will automatically fold over the cross-bar with the terminal portions of the other garment as the hanger is inverted to be placed `in the lid 2 of the case.

In practice, the skirt or trousers are first applied to the hanger and then the jacket or coat is applied so that the skirt or trousers are located inside of the jacket or coat and both garments are suspended from the hanger with their depending portions all on the same side of the cross-bar 8 and extending below same prior to inverting the hanger for placing in the lid of the case.

lith a hanger in the form shown and described, the depending portions of the garments on the hanger will only require one folding over cross-bar 8 on inverting the hanger to bring the garments within the space a'orded by the lid. Thus undue creasing and wrinkling of the garments is avoided as the folding is reduced to the minimum. The hanger is simple in construction and all of its parts being rigidly connected and in the same plane makes handling of the hanger easy and convenient both when placing the hanger in and removing it from the case and when turning the hanger either to fold the garments over the cross-bar 8 or unfolding them to remove the garments from the hanger.

The hanger at its shoulder portion 9 is provided with a centrally disposed outwardly extending part 17 about which the collar of the coat or jacket fits to prevent the garment fromlsliding off the hanger. The part 17 may be provided with a hole 18 for a loop 19 whereby' the hanger may be suspended from a hook in a closet with garments thereon in extended position when the hanger is removed from the lid of the case. With the depending or terminal portions of the garments folded on the cross-bar 8 when inverted the garments are supported by said bar and cannot fall down to be in a heap in the case.

The details of construction shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment hanger having all portions in the same plane and comprising, a cross-V bar at one end, a shoulder' portion at the other end, and a mid-section rigidly connecting the cross-bar to the shoulder portion, said mid-section being relatively narrow, so that a garment hung on the shoulder portion may have its depending portions all on the same side of the cross-bar, said shoulder portion having a pair of substantially parallel slots therein extending cross- Wise of the hanger to permit another garment Whenfolded transversely on itself to engage the shoulder portion between the slots and lie on the same side of the Cross-bar as the depending portions of the first garment, said hanger having a length less than the full length of the depending ,portions of the garments thereon, so that the latter' will automatieally fold over the cross-bar when inverting the hanger to bring the cross-bar uppermost.

2. A garment hanger having all portions in the same plane and comprising, a cross-bar at one end, a. shoulder portion at the other v end, and a mid-section rigidly connecting Jfolded transversely the cross-bar tothe shoulder portion, said mid-section being relatively narrow, so that a garment hung on the shoulder portion may have its depending portions all on the same side of the cross-bar, said shoulder portion having a pair of substantially paralslots and lie on one side of the cross-bar,.

said hanger having a length less th'an the folded portions of the garment so that 'the fold over the crosslatter will automatically b anger to ring the bar on inverting the cross-bar uppermost.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN H. BARTLETT, JR.

lel slots therein extending cross-wise of the l hanger to permit another garment when folded transversely on itself to engage the shoulder portion between t-he slots and lie on the same side of the cross-bar as the depending portions of the first garment, said hanger having a length less than the full length of the depending portions of the garments thereon, so that the latter will automatically fold over the cross-bar when inverting the hanger to bring' the cross-bar uppermost, said cross-bar extending beyond the ends of the shoulder portion and having notches therein o ening toward the latter.

3. A garment lpianger having all portions in the same plane and comprising, a crossbar at one end, a shoulder portion at the other end, and a mid-section rigidly connecting the cross-bar to the shoulder portion, said mid-section being relatively narrow, so that a garment hung on the shoulder portion may have its depending portions all on the same side of the cross-bar, said shoulder portion having a pair of substantially parallel slots therein extending cross-Wise of the hanger to permit another garment when l on itself t'o engage the shoulder'portion between the slots and lie on the Asame side of the cross-bar as the depending portions othe irst garment, said hanger having a length less than the full length of the depending portions of the garments thereon so that the latteruwill automatically fold over. the cross-bar when inverting the hanger to bring the cross-bar uppermost, said hanger having means at itsI shoulder portion whereby the hanger may 

